Uconn Vs Villanova: uconn vs villanova games deliver contrasting moments
uconn vs villanova produced a 73-63 victory for No. 5 UConn in Philadelphia as the Huskies turned a tight first half into a lopsided second-half performance. The matchup and related Villanova–UConn meetings across men’s and women’s programs produced a string of notable lines and quotes from both sidelines.
Uconn Vs Villanova men's result
In Philadelphia on Saturday night, Alex Karaban scored 12 points and Tarris Reed Jr. added 11 as No. 5 UConn used a dominating second half to defeat Villanova 73-63. Braylon Mullins added 10 points for the Huskies (25-2, 15-2 Big East), who rebounded from Wednesday’s 91-84 home loss to unranked Creighton. Tyler Perkins scored 15 points and Matt Hodge had 13 for Villanova (21-6, 12-4), which had won six in a row since losing 75-67 in overtime to UConn on Jan. 24 in the teams' first meeting.
Second-half surge and key runs
The teams were locked in a two-point game at the break after a competitive first half, but Villanova went without a field goal in the opening 5: 25 of the second half. UConn took advantage with a 13-2 run after the intermission. And the Huskies continued from there. The lead reached as many as 21 points later in the half on a nifty spin move and finish by Reed.
Player contributions and scoring
Karaban, Reed and Mullins supplied the primary scoring punch for UConn in the win. On Villanova’s side, Perkins and Hodge paced the Wildcats with 15 and 13 points respectively. The Wildcats struggled from long range the entire game; they finished 6 for 24 from beyond the arc.
Standings and coaching milestones
UConn, the 2023 and ’24 national champs, are pushing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and beating Villanova for the eighth time in the last nine meetings will help. The Wildcats have four regular-season games left, and first-year coach Kevin Willard is in position to end a three-year NCAA Tournament drought. Willard almost certainly will pass Jack Kraft for the most wins by a first-year coach; Kraft went 21-7 in 1961–62.
Previews and game-day notes
A separate game preview listed Villanova Wildcats 21-5 (12-3) vs #5 Connecticut Huskies 24-3 (14-2) and identified the site as Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA. The same preview carried a betting line of Villanova +2. 5 (subject to change) and noted how to listen on the Villanova Sports Radio Network. Net Rankings in that preview were Villanova 29, Connecticut 10 (Quad 1). A game-day promotion called for a WHITE OUT in South Philly and showed the matchup scheduled for 5: 30 PM on television. The preview also included a sponsored “By the Numbers” element for the BIG EAST matchup. The preview mentioned options to get poll alerts and updates on the Top 25 throughout the season and referenced a sign-up for those updates.
Villanova women’s game and flashbacks
On Wednesday night at Finneran Pavilion, Villanova’s women hosted No. 1 UConn and produced a momentary revival of the conference rivalry. The Finneran Pavilion was the loudest it had been all season for Villanova women’s basketball. The energy in the packed arena intensified at halftime when Villanova led the undefeated Huskies by three points — the first time all season that UConn trailed at the half.
Villanova coach Denise Dillon said, “The atmosphere that was created was tremendous. I loved hearing [the fans]. They were here for us. That was the difference, and you felt it from the beginning of the game and carrying through. ” The magic of Villanova’s first half eventually wore off, as UConn pulled away in the third quarter. The Huskies then held a double-digit lead to secure an 83-69 win.
Geno Auriemma reflected on the rivalry and the atmosphere: “Every mistake we made in the first half [tonight], we paid for it. The crowd was great. The two best teams in the league are playing, it’s a great atmosphere. I love the way Denise does things with her team. As much as I enjoy coming [to Villanova] because a lot of friends and family are down here, I didn’t really miss it those seven years. ” Auriemma, who grew up in Norristown, noted the competition intensified since UConn rejoined the Big East in 2000 after a seven-year stint in the American Conference. UConn owns the all-time record 49-7.
After being limited to just eight points in January’s matchup, sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe was all over the court on Wednesday night. Bascoe scored 18 of her 26 points in the first half. She also added nine rebounds and seven assists, while playing the full 40 minutes. Wednesday’s game was a much different contest than the last time the two teams faced off just over a month ago, when the Huskies bulldozed their way to a 99-50 victory on Jan. 15 on their home court.
“It honestly was a train wreck at their place, ” Dillon said. “So the growth from a month ago is fantastic. That’s what you want, especially when you have younger players and [Jasmine Bascoe] leading the way, directing out there on the floor. ” Denae Carter is a graduate forward who joined the Wildcats in 2023-24 as a Mississi — unclear in the provided context.
Villanova will be back in the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday to host Marquette, which stands fourth in the Big East, with a 3: 30 p. m. tip.
Closing: The men’s game in Philadelphia ended 73-63 for UConn after a decisive second-half run, while conference rivalry energy resurfaced briefly in the women’s matchup at Finneran Pavilion, producing close halves and a later UConn pullaway.
